Advances in energy access in developing countries over the past 25 years have been remarkable with more than 1 billion unserved people gaining access to electricity and modern fuels. However, as impressive as this may sound, large gaps remain: 1.6 billion people still lack access to electricity and another 2.5 billion continue to rely on…

This paper sets forth a model of regional stewardship developed and implemented at a post-compulsory institution serving rural communities in central Appalachia, a region that is among the most impoverished in the United States. The model, termed place-conscious capacity-building, emphasises culturally-responsive methodologies and the strategic…

Whether large-scale or small farms dominate, a county's farm structure is influenced not only by changes within farming but also by key factors such as nonfarm economic activity, geography, and population growth. Large-farm counties where agriculture dominates the economy are concentrated in the Plains, Midwest, and Mississippi Delta. Small-farm…

A system of social indicators for the integrated and systemic study of rural socioeconomic development was constructed. Specific features of the system were that it: (1) embraced nearly all aspects of life activity of the rural population, ranging from work in the public sector to leisure behaviour; (2) included social indicators which measured…

Based on four regional conferences organized by the Action Agenda Project on the theme of "Serving the Rural Adult," these proceedings examine the similarities and differences the diverse participants contributed to the discussion of rural adult education; the successes and concerns expressed in finances and funding, policy, models, and…

Investigations of the linkages between improved schools and local economic development are rare. This paper considers several models that introduce human capital as a potential source of economic growth in the rural South. Results from various econometric models indicate that across the South, county per capita income growth rates from 1970 to…

The overall economic well-being of U.S. rural communities is on the decline. Rural America is now dependent on a highly diversified economy, and its problems will not be resolved through improved farm income alone. Various weaknesses in rural development policies must be addressed. The narrow policy focus on attracting manufacturing industries to…

Investigation indicated factors other than human resource variables must be used to understand unemployment status. Based on a 1979 survey of a random sample (N=640) of rural adult California residents from a multi-county development district, 15 human resource development factors (including educational level, job training, match of work skills…

In an effort to clarify and synthesize recent explanations of underdevelopment and poverty in Central Appalachia, the following three models were explored: (1) the subculture of poverty model (identifies the internal deficiencies of the Southern Appalachian traditional subculture as the source of poverty problems); (2) the regional development…

Decentralization and budget reduction in the public sector, and globalization and downsizing in the private sector have placed more responsibility on localities to address challenges to the health of their economies, ecosystems, and people. Community development theory and practice are also changing, evidenced by changes in vocabulary. Community…

Extension personnel can aid rural decision makers with impacts felt from rapid growth in their communities via a locally applicable community impact model. This paper illustrates how extension professionals can utilize community impact models. Impact models reviewed include: model to measure the impact of new industry on rural communities in…

Each year commonwealth, state, and territory governments allocate millions of dollars to alleviate differing kinds of disadvantages among local communities in Australia. This paper is concerned with the allocation of resources to remote and rural areas by the Commonwealth Government on a national basis. Current formulas and resource allocation…

Few national level programs in the United States directly support both local development and education/training. Although both are needed to accomplish the desired goals of economic stability and low unemployment, distinctly different sets of policies exist for each, and because of limited federal resources, each program is in competition with the…

Planners in multicounty rural areas can use the Rural Development, Activity Analysis Planning (RDAAP) model to try to influence the optimal growth of their areas among different general economic goals. The model implies that best industries for rural areas have: high proportion of imported inputs; low transportation costs; high value added/output…

This essay examines the role of investment capital in rural development. The development of government capitalism is traced. Outlined next are the premises for private and public investment. Geographic/geopolitical concerns in the formation of investment priorities are described. The need for greater availability of investment capital for small…